Prima facie day is here! Neil Doncaster spent weeks telling us that the SPL had yet to establish if Rangers had a prima facie case to answer in connection with the alleged illegal registration of players. Today he confirmed to the SPL board and the media that they do indeed have a case to answer.
Rangers Employee Benefit Trusts have been the source of considerable controversy since 2010 when it emerged that HMRC had taken action against the club, at the time claiming in the region of £24m. EBTs had been recorded on Rangers accounts for a decade without much comment, so there was no reason to assume the club had made payments to players out-with the oversight of the football authorities.
On 22 February this year Celtic Quick News asked the question, were these EBT payments recorded with the SFA, or did Rangers hide them? There was little reason for the club to hide them, unless, perhaps, they had something to else hide, which was beginning to look the case.
Today we have our answer. Whatever is left of what some regard to be Rangers FC will be subject to some of the most severe disciplinary procedures levelled in the history of football. Appropriate penalties for subverting the game for over a decade are impossible to define.
Celtic fans are not the only ones to lose from this illegal registration of players but they suffered significantly. Five league titles went to Rangers, in 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2011. All of these titles will be stripped from Rangers records and awarded to Celtic.
You can look forward to 12-in-a-row day soon, which is simply, CHAMPION!
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The Record
Rangers in crisis: Ibrox club face being stripped of five league titles and a battle to avoid SPL expulsion
Jun 19 2012 By Colin Duncan
NEWCO Rangers could pay for the sins of the old regime after the SPL last night confirmed they had a case to answer over alleged illegal payments to players.
The Ibrox club stand accused of using a dual contract/EBT system and if found guilty they could be stripped of the league titles won between 2000 and 2010.
They could also be expelled immediately from the SPL even if other clubs vote to allow them back in at a crunch Hampden meeting on July 4.
Early indications suggest Ally McCoist’s side will struggle to secure the 8-4 majority needed to win re-entry.
St Mirren and Motherwell were quick to issue statements which claimed any club found guilty of financial wrongdoing must be severely punished.
And Aberdeen, Hearts, Dundee United and Kilmarnock fans have already urged their clubs to vote against a newco getting back in.
The SPL’s six-man board which comprises Ralph Topping, Neil Doncaster, Steven Brown, Stephen Thompson, Derek Weir and Eric Reilly, spent five hours yesterday deliberating Rangers case along with lawyers.
They released a statement which said: “The SPL board heard a report from its solicitors following the investigation into payments to, or for the benefit of, players allegedly made by Rangers outside of contract. The delay in concluding the investigation was caused by an initial lack of co-operation from Rangers. The investigation has been completed and, in the view of the SPL, there is a prima facie case to answer.
“Disciplinary charges will be brought when the future status of Rangers is clarified and prior to the start of season 2012-13.”
Rangers’ use of Employee Benefits Trusts over a 10-year period was the subject of a long-running tax tribunal which concluded in January but has yet to return a verdict.
The SPL later began its own probe. The lawyers went through paperwork which was eventually submitted with a fine tooth comb and have decided there is enough evidence to warrant proceedings.
SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster refused to comment on punishments which could be meted out but Record Sport understands the sanctions will be severe with expulsion, providing they are allowed back into the top flight in the first place, a possibility.
Doncaster said: “An application for registration of transfer of Rangers’ SPL share has been received.
“Consideration of that will depend on receipt by the board of required documentation and verification.
“I would not like to say much more than that at this stage.
“I would just like to reiterate really what was said in our statement after the board meeting.
“It’s fairly straightforward what happens next and, as such, I wouldn’t wish to comment further at this moment.”
Green has submitted an application for re-entry and the Yorkshireman will find out in a fortnight whether his £5.5million purchase will be re-born on the fourth of July. With uncertainty over Rangers’ status for season 2012-13, their name was replaced by “Club 12” in the SPL fixture list released yesterday morning.
It still remains unclear whether Dunfermline, who were relegated last season, or First Division One runners-up Dundee would replace Rangers in the event that the newco is not admitted to the top flight.
BT
Bradfordshire,I’m not sure what you mean by church stalls,do you mean actually in church?
I see the Record peddling the line that newclub can be stripped of titles,just how is that possible?
Golfing with a Hun acquaintance yesterday when I asked if he would prefer SPL with sanctions or Division 3. Now this fellow is an educated, well mannered chap who I had a great deal of time for. He is a season ticket holder at the Bigotdome and an employees of the former club.
He replied ” that if they hate Rangers that much, then I would like us to play in Division 3 to see how they got on without us”.
No hint of irony, certainly no remorse or contrition. Ragers as victims of a hate campaign.
Shocked I was. Naked WATPery.
Hell slap it intae them.
HH
EC67
In the church there will be a wee shop which sells mass cards etc you should be able to pick some up there easily
BT
Ok thanks,I’ll nip in today,I wasn’t sure if they sold it or not,I’ve not been going to the one I go to for long and don’t go as regular as I should due to work,cheers.
W Whither the cash strapped scrofulous New Hillbillies the day?
Tom McLaughlin on 19 June, 2012 at 08:22 said:
Thanks for posting that.
I wouldn`t like to have missed it.
Trying to find the right word.
Humbling?
Dontbrattbakkinanger on 19 June, 2012 at 08:59 said:
They are planning their comeback tour with Neil Doncaster.
Lennon n Mc….Mjallby
Re Holy Water
If you’re near a church, take a small plastic bottle with you and fill it from the baptismal font.
Remember and stick a couple of quid in the poor box on the way out!
SPF
Getting a tad hacked off with this ‘paying for the sins of the old club’ nonsense from the MSM.
They are trying to benefit from the sins of the old club. Had der orkenkind been the cruddy no financial-doping two-bit club of the early to mid 80s, there would/could be no argument to be made that the SPL ‘needs’ them – they would be an irrelevance.
But because they’ve cheated their way to building up a false brand, we’re told that we need them, we cannot live without them, yadda, yadda, blah de blah and that we should not be punishing a new club for the sins of one or two people from the old club.
Well, see, here’s the catch to that: Rangers, as a brand, as a company, as a collective set of employees and numerous attached and related businesses, have benefited from outright and quite blatant cheating and the wilful obfuscation of payments to players (in order to blindside both the football authorities as well as the taxman so as to gain a competitive advantage over their competitors).
This isn’t even financial doping as we’d normally think of it – it is fraud. The media are peddling a line that a new club should not be punished for the fraudulent activities of the old club. And I agree.
Conversely, they should not benefit from such nefarious schemes as run by the old club either. There should be no place reserved for a new club if the only basis for such a reservation is that ‘we need a club (that cheated to become the market brand we need)’.
I’ve asked several times, here and elsewhere, and nobody can answer me: on the basis that we apparently ‘need’ the big brand Rangers, who is going to pay to subsidise the small brand (bereft of doping and cheating)?
Punish the new club? Nope. But hell mend the SPL if they reward a new club on the basis of the big brand old club.
Lennon n Mc….Mjallby on 19 June, 2012 at 08:42 said:
I see the Record peddling the line that newclub can be stripped of titles,just how is that possible?
—————————————
Should not be, titles nd cup wins should be stripped from the history of the defunct Rangers. Newco is a new club wherever it plays and starts with zero history, no matter what the deniers in the media think/hope and are trying to push through
The huns don’t seem to get the fact that the SPl & SFA don’t gibe a monkeys about how the players were paid and that it was accounted for in their annual accounts.
ALL THEY CARE ABOUT WAS THAT YOU GAVE THEM TWO CONTRACTS AND ONLY REGISTERED ONE OF THEM WITH THE SFA WHICH MEANS THEY WERE IMPROPERLY REGISTERED YA CHEATIN MUPPETS !!!!!
Is that so effin hard to understand?????????
dirtymac on 19 June, 2012 at 09:05 said:
Take a bow. That was a great post.
we need to start using that “they benefit from the sins of the old club” line you used.
Hail Hail
Mort
Dear CQNers,
My father, Myles McBride, was buried yesterday at st. Ignatius in Wishaw. My dad was only 74, when he passed away last week. My dad was a diehard Celtic fan, and was most proud when I signed for Celtic back in 1988. My dad also travelled to Lisbon in 67, and was at the 7-1 game against rangers. My dad worked in 2 great Celtic bars in the Cross Keys, and in Kelly’s in Cleland.
My dad was eating jelly and ice cream long before many of us. My heart is hurting, but I know he is in a better place. I want to thank Paul for giving me this opportunity to inform you of another great Celt leaving this earth. My dad was a simple modest man, who loved his family, his faith, celtic, and Kerrykeel in beautiful Donegal.
Thanks
Sean McBride
As I recall, the last period during which TFOD played within their means, the Sheep won a European trophy beating Real Madrid, and the Arabs narrowly lost the UEFA Cup Final. Didn’t seem to be too cataclysmic a time for Scottish Football.
Let’s have more of the same please, for the coefficients’ sake!!
Pantalonio- legendary Glasgow Rock Venue and Incubator of the Stars the ooooooooooooooooollllllllllllllllllle Burns Howff is re-launching itself as’ Club12′.
‘ It’ll be completely new’ said a spokesman for owner Paul Waterson’new vibes, new talent, new ambience, new soap in the ladies bog’.
‘Of course ole Dick Byrne is still barred sine die’.
greenjedi
When an organisation has in its power (and has used said power) to ban a club from the Scottish Cup becuase there was only one signature on a form, when there should have been two signatures (Spartans) then punishments for improperly registered players have to be very sever indeed.
If I was the CEO of Spartans I’d be watching this case very carefully to see what the SFA do.
Mort
Lennon n Mc….Mjallby
Can I just chip in and say that ‘holy’ water (used as a ‘sacramental’) is available (for free) in/at Catholic churches … if you’re not a regular at a given parish you should ask one of the locals where the holy water font is.
Of course, you’ll need something to carry the water, though you can always bring your own container and won’t need to buy something at the church. [Although I’m sure a wee donation wouldn’t go amiss.]
FF
Lennon n Mc….Mjallby on 19 June, 2012 at 08:27 said
most church stalls will have holy water. where are you based..
How soon do you need the Holy Water ? from Lourdes.
My duaghter was in Lourdes for Easter with HCPT, and brought a 5ltr container home with her.
Unfortunately I am heading to the Airport in the next 2 hours, as I head off on Holiday for 2 weeks,
If still looking around Destruction Day (4th July) – drop another note and I will get some to you
boondock saint on 19 June, 2012 at 09:10 said:
Lovely piece.
It’s beautiful to read somebody express love for their parents, a sign of emotional maturity.
Boondock Saint
A fine tribute. God rest your father. You have done him proud.
BOONDOCK SAINT 0910
You did yer oul’ fella proud with that post.
Some man….
Oh dear this is begining to smell.
Sevco will get into the SPL
There will be some sanctions
Titles will be stripped.
BUT
It will be described as New Club accepting the sanctions of Old Club, confirming continuity.
ALL SO WRONG
There is in fact NO history between Old Co & New Co except the purchase of assets from one free standing company to another totally seperate free standing company.
THEREFORE
Sanctions in respect of RFCIA are applicable to that institution and its historical record and in no regard applicable to Sevco.
Sevco should be in no position to either accept sanctions nor should the governing bodies be entitled to impose sanctions.
Sevco should get the due and appropriate consideration as a corporate body applying to have their football club entered at entry-level of the Scottish League structure entirely free of innuendo or sanction.
Anything else is a corruption.
HH
Sean
YNWA, and neither will your auld fella.
Old Co Rangers Relegated at end of season 2011/12
Rangers Lose SPL Place to Dunfermline
4 July Chairmen’s New Co Vote Now Irrelevant
Rangers finished the last season with 73 points after their 10 point administration deduction.
Sasa Papac who was named among the EBT recipients and must therefore be part of the “dual contract club” played in 20 games in the season during which Rangers amassed 47 points. When these results are overturned Rangers will end on 26 points.
Dunfermline, the until now relegated club, ended on 25 points.
You may think close but no cigar.
However……. they lost 6 points to Rangers in games where Papac participated and when these changes are reflected they will have 31 points.
As a consequence Rangers will be relegated and lose their SPL place even before the Chairmen’s vote.
I think!
Warszawa
boondock saint
Thanks for sharing that news, and may your Dad rest in peace.
(I’m sure there used to be a joke in Cleland about Kelly’s being the biggest bar in Scotland … because you could see Myles behind the bar.)
FF
Boondock Saint- thoughts and prayers with you and your family. It’s a sair yin, to lose your dad.
Neveralon. DirtyMac is right. The football “authorities” in Scotland are getting their sporrans in a twist making all this much more complicated than it really is out of fear of the hordes of darkness. As a result, the beast is taking far longer to die than is good for anyone, with the possible exception of the sellers of popcorn, jelly, ice-cream and sky lanterns.
There are two realistic, logical, coherent scenarios.
Scenario 1.
Scottish football: Hello. Who’s there?
Club 12: It’s us, the good old Sons of William that you know and love.
Scottish football: Rangers?
Club 12: Aye.
Scottish football: Nice to see you again. Here are your sanctions for cheating for a decade, taking us to court, making us a laughing stock and threatening innocent people with violence. I think Hector is looking for you too with a big outstanding account in his hand. All the best …
Scenario 2
Club 12: Sorry, did I say ‘aye’. I meant to say that we’re a wholly different entity and that all that bad stuff was David Murray and Craig Whyte’s fault and nothing to do with us.
Scottish football: Well it’s great to see you. The queue to join SFL division three is over there. Have you brought your three years’ accounts with you?
Sean – fine words. Sounds like he was a fine man.
boondock saint on 19 June, 2012 at 09:10 said:
Sean
May God bless your dad,Myles.
Although I never knew him,we shared the joy of the 7-1 game and,no doubt,many other games.
Sean – you’ll miss him every day, but concentrate on all your good memories. Our thoughts are with you and your family.
Hail Hail
TTTT
My condolences Sean, may he rest in peace.
Lennon n Mc….Mjallby on 19 June, 2012 at 08:42 said:
———–
In a single sentence you sum up the blurring of the lines that’s going on here – some of it, among the fans perhaps, actually a genuine misunderstanding or lack of clarity.
IMO Rangers, as we know them, will cease to exist when the liquidators are formally appointed. The assets have been sold (but that sale may be subject to challenge if the liquidators feel they’ve been sold at undervalue). While the physical trophies will be among these assets I don’t believe the “history” of the old club /company is a tangible asset which can be sold. It therefore dies with the club.
Accordingly, any action brought by the SPL regarding the actions of the old club should IMHO be brought against the administrators or, once appointed, the liquidators who alone will have locus to object to or defend such actions.
I doubt they would as there is no financial gain in doing so. Any fines would just be added to the unsecured creditors list.
Bringing any such action against Newco is entirely wrong in my view as there is, supposedly, no connection between the two, other than that Newco bought the old Company’s assets but that creates no legal nexus between those entities.
The Newco will not be punished or sanctioned by the SPL or anyone else on 4th July. All that will happen is that they will be told either they can’t join the gang or they can but subject to certain conditions.
It may be the SFA or SPL take the view that past misdemeanours carry forward with the actual share that’s being transferred but that doesn’t seem right to me – its either the old company applying to re-acquire the share or its a Newco applying , entirely of new, to acquire the share forfeited by the oldco. With liquidation it simply can’t be the former.
It seems to me that the SFA and the SPL, deliberately or otherwise, are fudging the issues here. I don’t think the concepts here are particularly complex. Old Rangers are inexorably lurching towards legal extinction and a newco has been formed.
Happy to be corrected if I missed anything but it seems to me it really is that simple.
I know this is petty but it really made me chuckle see below a post on RM by some loony hun,I think its very funny.Could be a good question for a primary school English lesson,what is wrong with this sentence?
‘Where is the president for this, are they just casting up arbatrary punishments at will now? why not strip EVERY title back to 1988. also who gives a f*** about what the sun says?’
Good Morning,
as usual I awake this morning with nonesense in my head whilst at the same time harbouring some pretty plain questions about mundane things that turn out no to be so mundane after all perhaps.
Let’s stop and consider a few things which we are told are now established facts.
A court appointed professional firm called Duff & Phelps, who have offices throughout the world, are the formally appointed Administrators of Rangers PLC. Duff & Phelps have been ensconced in offices at Ibrox Park for months now and have had the run of the place. This means that they have had access to all the files and documents that go with running Rangers PLC both now, and to at least an extent, in the past.
Duff & Phelps have been asked to provide various documents to the Police, the SPL and other bodies in connection with those bodies investigating the conduct of Rangers PLC, its Directors, employees and its business practices. It would appear that Duff & Phelps have been slow to comply with requests for information from all and any of the investigating bodies. Further, it is not known if Duff & Phelps have made any independent enquiries of their own into the matters under investigation. For example, if the BBC have access to x number of EBT related contracts but Duff & Phelps are only able to lay their hands on a smaller number of such contracts– should they have made enquiries as to where any other contracts might be? After all they are in charge of the company records and should have access to all such records.
What we now also know, is that Duff & Phelps have formally sold the assets of the company they administer to another company that is controlled by a Mr Charles Green. Apparently, Duff & Phelps have also sold “The Business” of Rangers PLC to Mr Green.
What is not clear, is whether or not the business records of Rangers PLC have also been delivered to Mr Green as part of this business sale? I can understand why Mr Green would want salient business records such as Season Ticket holder records, employee contracts, Health and Safety records and so on.
All of this is vitally important in light of the statements made by the footballing authorities yesterday, especially the decision to call Rangers PLC ( and any successor to the company ) to task for the potential use of dual contracts. The SPL investigation was conducted this far on behalf of the SPL by Messrs Harper McLeod who, as many will know, are not unfamiliar with the legalities of footballing matters and contracts within the game.
Leaving aside the question of where Mr Green’s company actually stand in relation to Scottish Football– if indeed it stands anywhere at all— I believe that there is yet another severely embarrassing problem awaiting Scottish Football as a result of the SPL decision yesterday.
Duff & Phelps will no doubt declare that they have delivered all the documents that they can or that they know about to both the SPL or the Police in respect of their various enquiries. However, what happens if it emerges that what Duff & Phelps have delivered and what the SPL ( Harper McLeod ) have received and considered does not amount to the whole picture?
What if there are documents missing, or indeed there is knowledge of EBT payments and contracts out there which have not been voluntarily disclosed by now?
In the past 14 days, Stewart Regan, has made it very plain that the SFA, as the body in charge of Scottish Football, are heavily reliant on clubs– and those who run clubs— acting with integrity and self disclosing and self certifying various matters including the type of thing that has a bearing on the fit and proper person test.
That being so, we have now had months and months of knowledge of EBT payments and contracts. Evidence has been lead before a tax tribunal, and whilst Regan has said that the tax authorities will take care of tax matters and football authorities will take care of football issues, we now have a criminal investigation into events at Rangers PLC being conducted by the Police, and further matters surrounding contracts being looked at by the league authorities.
Documents and records have now been produced by the court appointed parties who run this business.
But what if there are those out there who have detailed knowledge of and have been party to key and material actions in this business who have volunteered nothing thus far?
Where does that leave Mr Regan and his self certification mantra?
No doubt there will be those who will say that they have nothing to disclose or that they are not currently part of a football club and so are under no obligation to disclose anything? technically they might be right, however, the game and the very shape and existence of football in Scotland is in crisis and on a financial knife edge with fans and customers expressing discontent by the tens of thousands.
All of this is as a direct result of the activities of one club and one company– Rangers PLC.
Therefore I have to ask, is it really acceptable for those who know about such matters and who can reveal exactly what went on to remain silent and to continue to postulate on various matters in football with any credibility and substance?
Why should such people have any future in the game and what should the footballing authorities do about such people who may well have contribited to the morass and the mess that football in general finds itself embroiled in?
If it turns out that the SPL enquiry has not been told all the facts, then surely someone should be for the high jump?
That might be Duff & Phelps, it might be Charles Green & company, but much more likley it will be those who have worked in and around football for a long time and who worked for Rangers PLC at some time over the piece,
Stewart Regan has publicly stated that Campbell Ogilvie has volunteered information and has disclosed that there were others involved in the dodgy practices other than him. Presumably Regan has made that information available to the SPL enquiry team, who will hopefully have interviewed Ogilvie as well.
However, it is the others– those to whom Ogilvie has alluded—- that are important here. Have they come forward and proffered their information and knowledge together with any documentation they may have?
If they haven’t, can we seriously believe that any such people have any future at all in properly run football— whether that be in broadcasting, the written press or, god forbid, the running of a football club or association in the future?
The SPL should take note of the information it possesses as at the date of the information being disclosed by Duff & Phelps….. and then compare it to the information that is to come— even though any such comparison results in some seriously awkward conclusions and decisions.
The Violence of Silence from some should simply not be tolerated.
Test
Boondock Saint,
Mate, my heartfelt condolences.
You have the memories and you have eternal love. They will never replace your dad but nevertheless they are priceless gifts that have been bequeathed you and as the day slips by you’ll visit them, your dad, your memories, your love, and time stops, and you’ll just treasure them all, all the more. And you never stop going there.